The story is told of a civil servant who travelled out of town for a meeting. It was his first trip. As nightfall approached, one of the attendants of the hotel in which he was lodged decided to make an offer to him.

"I want to supply you with a mosquito net. They are not expensive here. With FCFA 5000, you can have a good one". The man wondered aloud why he will resort to buying a mosquito net when he would spend just one night out of his home. But he quickly succumbed to the elucidation of the attendant and thought the idea was genial. Being in a mosquito infested zone, the need for a mosquito net could not be considered out of place. So, he said "Yes". And handed him the money.

So, off the attendant went to the "market" in quest of the net. Two hours later, he returned with a bevy of girls. "But where is the mosquito net", the civil servant asked? To this, the hotel attendant burst out laughing. And with a cynical grin, he pointed at the girls: "These are the mosquito nets. You can select what you want".

Dumbfounded, the man asked to have his money back. To this, the attendant replied: "here, it's payment before service. And you loose your money and the 'good' if you turn it down". What a hoax!

If you were the one, would you accept the "mosquito net" or lose your CFA 5000? Anyway, the lesson here is simple: when in a strange environment, don't rush into commitments. Take your time to understand the underlying meaning and reason behind all proposals.